Recap

January 1, 2012 I set 12 goals for myself. I did not get all of them done, but I think I was pretty successful. As I bring this year to a close, I have decided to look back on these goals and begin the next list for 2013!

12 Goals for 2012

1. Graduate from college… (should be easy… right?) DONE!
2. Get a job teaching … (this one is kind of a duh! but with the way jobs in the teaching field are going this one could be tough) DONE! Kindergarten in Bryan, Texas!
3. Eat healthier… (avoid fast food, sodas, and fried foods) I did much better in this area earlier in the year... after summer and student teaching I let this one go. I am ready to get back on track for this goal!
4. Begin a regular exercise schedule… (occasionally I go for a run, but I want to be more consistent) Again, I did better on this goal at the beginning of the year and the best during the summer with Crossfit... but as student teaching came around, I did terrible!
5. Run a 5K, 10K, and a half marathon … (eek. This may be hard because of how busy I am going to be this year, but there is no excuse not to get this done! This was one of my goals for last year… I ran a 5K but never made it to the 10K or the half.) I think I ran 5 5ks this year... Which is AWESOME! But I really wanted to get to that 10k! I think part of the problem is that there are so many more 5ks than 10ks (excuse #1 and the list goes on). This goal will again be on my list next year and I hope that I can achieve it! I have got to get on a regular running schedule... with a full time job? I need help! How do people do it?
6. Be positive ALL of the time! … (this is something I harp on a lot because I think it is one of the most important qualities of being happy… but sometimes I struggle with being positive in stressful situations.) I think I have a pretty positive outlook on life. I think this quality is what helped land me my first full time job! I always try to look at things from a different perspective. I can ALWAYS get better at this though! With my new job and a new chapter in my life, positivity is going to be the key to being happy!
7. Be patient … (this includes all areas of my life… school, family, friends, and faith) I would say I was pretty patient this year. As a student-teacher, a lot of patience were tested, but for me that is the easiest situation to be patient. I really hate being patient, but it is a fact of life.
8. Be spontaneous … (or maybe even plan-taneous) I did really well on this goal during the spring and summer, but once school started in the fall... spontaneousness went down hill. I figure eventually I will find a way to be spontaneous and work at the same time, but I will have to build up to that point.
9. Go on fun dates … (this kind of goes along with spontaneous) I have been on some very fun dates this year! It was hard in the fall because matt and I lived 2 and a half hours apart, but we still were able to do fun things on the weekends. Football games, movies, dinner, etc.
10. Do my hair and make up more … (aka don’t look like a zombie when I go to class) Like I said in July, I didn't do very good on this for my A&M classes, but now I have to do my hair and make up for work. I think I went to school maybe 2 times this semester with my hair in a ponytail! I have never been one who wakes up early to fix my hair, but I think times are changing.
11. Communicate more with my friends that don’t live near me … (this is so hard but it is something I HAVE to get better at!) I think I have done relatively well on this goal... Not good, but okay. I have really enjoyed seeing my friends from all over this winter break! 
12. Strive to live and love like the Lord has taught us to. I think that thoughout out  this year I have grown closer to the Lord and built a relationship with Him that has taught me how to live and love the way He does. Of course, this is a NEVER ENDING goal that can always be improved.

For me to be able to completely cross of 3 of my 12 goals I would say is pretty good. A lot of my goals are ones that you don't just "complete." They are lifestyle goals that need to be in place to remind me of the way I want to live my life. Being healthy, exercising, being positive and patient, being spontaneous, etc. 

This year has been such a blessing. I made new friends! I traveled to a country I had never been to! I accomplished things I could have never imagined! I graduated from a prestigious university with honors! I got a "big girl" job! This year really was full of decisions. I ended one chapter of my life, but the best part is that I get to start a new one! I am so thankful for all of the people in my life that have supported me throughout this year. 2012 was a great year, and I am anxious to see what 2013 holds for me. 

Its not about where an adventure ends, cause that's not what an adventure's about. 

So anything that happens from here on out is a bonus. 

-Benjamin Mee

Long Time, No See!

It has been over 3 months since my last post. It seems like it has been a year. If I were to try to tell you everything that has happened since my last post you would have to read a novel. So here are some quick bullet points :) SO MUCH has happened since August! It is crazy!

• Student Teaching!- It was amazing! I had such a great experience thanks to my wonderful mentor teacher and team teacher! I could not have asked for a better semester. I wish I could share every little story about my sweet third graders, but I can't. Here are just a couple!
• Hero Day- One of my third grade friends came up to me and told me that she was going to dress up as me for her hero. I was honored to have a student say that, but I thought to myself... How in the worlds is she going to dress up as me? The next day all of the students came to school dressed as their heroes. I dressed as a doctor because of my dad. My sweet little friend came as a little Ms. Hargrove. Black pants, little heels, hair braided back, cute little top with a cami... it was perfect! It was so sweet! To be called a hero is an honor. I hope I was a hero to each of my third graders. I know they were heroes to me. 

• Little longhorn friend- You might think in third grade, college football is not an issue. Well for this one friend, it was how we bonded! As most of you know, I am a big time aggie and my students quickly figured this out. At some points, talking about the aggies got a little bit out of control. One time we were playing around the world with multiplication and this particular friend told me that if he beat me I had to sing Texas Fight (which I don't even know, by the way). I was like no, no, no... It's not a contest! Well to him it was, and I had to beat him 5 times to finally admit that I didn't have to sing Texas Fight. This was the letter he wrote to me when I had to leave. *Please note, this was before the A&M vs. Alabama game!

I wrote him a letter telling him how much I enjoyed talking football with him, especially since that aggies had such a good season, and that I was proud of him for always sticking up for his team. This is how he responded after the Alabama game.. I love it! 

There were so many great things about my student teaching experience and the students' personalities was just the icing on the cake! I miss them all so much!

• Graduation!!!- I can't believe I am graduate of Texas A&M University! My 4 (and a half) years FLEW by! Here are a couple of pictures from graduation!

Kyndall, Meagan, and I 

The Family

Matt and I

Matt's Family

• Acceptance to Graduate School- I applied for and was accepted to Graduate School for a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction at Texas A&M. This is an online program and I am really excited about it. I will not start taking classes until the summer or fall of 2013.. you will see why in the next bullet.

• KINDERGARTEN!- I had what seems like about million interviews for jobs this semester. Thanks to my good friend Kyndall, I finally found the perfect position for me! I will be a Kindergarten teacher at Houston Elementary School in Bryan, TX starting January 7! I am so very excited for this next adventure, but I am also very nervous! I got to meet the kids just before Winter Break and now I am preparing for the semester! I have so much to do in just a little more than a week. 

As you can see, the last three months brought a lot of new adventures! I have graduated from college, gotten a job, and have plans to continue my education! I am so very excited for this next chapter of my life and I can't wait to see how it unfolds.